A constructivist teacher creates a context for learning in which students can become engaged in interesting activities that encourages and facilitates learning. The teacher does not simply stand by, however, and watch children explore and discover. Instead, the teacher may often guide students as they approach problems, may encourage them to work in groups to think about issues and questions, and support them with encouragement and advice as they tackle problems, adventures, and challenges that are rooted in real life situations that are both interesting to the students and satisfying in terms of the result of their work. Teachers thus facilitate cognitive growth and learning as do peers and other members of the child's community (Irene,n.d).
Throughout this web quest, an attempt has been made to maintain a productive constructivist approach of teaching and learning which would incorporate learner-centred activities and active instructions. In activity four, students use an ICT tool "paint" to design pirate flags. They are able to do this as they are provided with instructions and relevant web links not just to acquire facts, but rather to assist them to gain experiences which would allow them to question, research, investigate, imagine and invent. In result, students as active and motivated learners can actively involved in their learning to reach new understanding which is reached and assessed by the completion of their pirate flags.
We also believe that the class brainstorm before commencing activity two helps to promote creative thinking, a vital component to the constructivist theory. During activity two students investigate what a book cover is and the use the book cover program (an ICT device) that aids students to think for themselves. Students learn how to create something that is visually pleasing and provides relevant information to the viewer. Students are given guidance to where they can find the information needed to complete the task and are note "spoon-fed" the information which we think is vital component to the constructivist practice. Constructivism is all about providing learners with the tools to gain knowledge an example of this can be found in activity three where students need to learn how to speak like a pirate, they are given the tools to practice this skill and need to use the information given in a PDF file to learn the language of a pirate so that they may create their own pirate TV show skits.
Overall we have tried to incorporate the constructivist theory as much as possible through the whole web quest as when students build up their own knowledge and skills, greater learning is achieved and students meet the desired outcomes with striving success.
Throughout this web quest, an attempt has been made to maintain a productive constructivist approach of teaching and learning which would incorporate learner-centred activities and active instructions. In activity four, students use an ICT tool "paint" to design pirate flags. They are able to do this as they are provided with instructions and relevant web links not just to acquire facts, but rather to assist them to gain experiences which would allow them to question, research, investigate, imagine and invent. In result, students as active and motivated learners can actively involved in their learning to reach new understanding which is reached and assessed by the completion of their pirate flags.
We also believe that the class brainstorm before commencing activity two helps to promote creative thinking, a vital component to the constructivist theory. During activity two students investigate what a book cover is and the use the book cover program (an ICT device) that aids students to think for themselves. Students learn how to create something that is visually pleasing and provides relevant information to the viewer. Students are given guidance to where they can find the information needed to complete the task and are note "spoon-fed" the information which we think is vital component to the constructivist practice. Constructivism is all about providing learners with the tools to gain knowledge an example of this can be found in activity three where students need to learn how to speak like a pirate, they are given the tools to practice this skill and need to use the information given in a PDF file to learn the language of a pirate so that they may create their own pirate TV show skits.
Overall we have tried to incorporate the constructivist theory as much as possible through the whole web quest as when students build up their own knowledge and skills, greater learning is achieved and students meet the desired outcomes with striving success.
Teachers Page Links: Teacher Resources ICT Tools Justification Learning Area Outcomes Management Plan Inspiration Document
References
Irene, C.(n.d)Social constructivist Theories, Retrieved March19,2009,from http://viking.coe.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/et-it/social.htm